Erkan's field diary

EU 'must find treaty solution'

The EU must help a solution how to move forward after Ireland's rejection of the reform treaty, the Irish prime minister says.

Do not take the Irish No for a No

By Pierre-Antoine Rousseau

Less than half of the Irish electorate has spoken: By a margin of 100 000 votes it has rejected the Lisbon Treaty. The no-votes express a bizarre mix of misconceptions  and ressentiments, that  had  little or nothing to do with the treaty, which  virtually nobody had read. It was un unreadable document, like any text that

Irish ‘No’ in perspective

We have to await an analysis of the result of the Irish referendum in order to understand the reasons for the rejection of the Lisbon Treaty. They will no doubt include: • the incomprehensibility of the treaty • lack of confidence in the (Irish) political class • belief that would affect Irish neutrality • belief that would lead to abortion being legalized • belief

Guardian/Observer: Europe must not be derailed by lies and disinformation - by Will Hutton

By A-News

For the complete report from the The Observer/Guardian click on this link

Eurosceptics celebrate a triumph of the little people against the Euro juggernaut. Ireland's 'no' vote against the treaty on the European constitution is, in such minds, the brave assertion of democracy against bureaucracy. The European elite in Brussels, with its dark plans to hobble Europeans everywhere, deserves a good kicking for producing an unloved, incomprehensible set of reforms. It has got it. Ireland has stood up for Europe............

Oh shit (again)

By Richard Laming

We have been here before. Here is what I wrote after the No vote in France three years ago: http://www.federalunion.org.uk/blog/yesblog/2005_05.shtml. Much of the same applies now after the Irish No vote.

Some facts first of all. The vote in Ireland was 752,451 votes in favour of the Lisbon Treaty, and 862,415 against. With a turnout of 53.1 per cent, the percentage split was 46.6 per cent in favour, 53.4 per cent against. Or put another way, the votes of less than a million Europeans are sufficient to derail a treaty that was agreed by governments representing 500 million Europeans....

Europe's hardball plan B for the Lisbon treaty

Once 26 countries have ratified, EU countries accounting for more than 99 per cent of the EU's population will have approved the Lisbon treaty. The pressure on Ireland would then become unbearable, writes Wolfgang Münchau

Redirect yr Energies

By nanne

Dutch blog Sargasso proposes a novel solution to the obstacles now in the way of the 'European Dream': Start a megalomaniac project to dam off the Mediterranean!

You can't think up something crazy enough which has not been thought up before by some crazy German scientist. With apologies about the stereotype, but when it fits...

Euroblog Coverage: The Irish 'No'

By nanne

We can only have little idea of what the Irish 'no' to the Lisbon Treaty will mean for the institutional question in the European Union. The matter, simply, will be dealt with by the leaders of the governments we have elected. Whether they deal with it in a realistic way, or try to ignore reality for as long as possible as was the case with the 'Constitution', is now the big question.

In Europe, a Slide Toward Irrelevance

By Robert Kagan

BRUSSELS -- A mere two years ago, the British author and thinker Mark Leonard published a book titled "Why Europe Will Run the 21st Century." Today, one wonders to what degree Europe will even participate in the 21st century. It's not just the deadly blow struck by Ireland's rejection Thursday of the Lisbon Treaty reorganizing the European Union. I've spent six of the past eight years in the capital of the European Union, and I've noticed over this period a steady loss of self-confidence in Europe, a turning inward and a growing pessimism about the future.

Suprise, Suprise

By rz

While reading comments all over the Euroblogosphere I noted that many Irish commentators seemed to be surprised and angered by the suggestion that other Nation which have signed the Reform Treaty might go ahead anyway. It is obviously a problem if Irish citizens voted on the wrong believe that they vote either 'yes' for the Lisbon treaty or 'yes' for the Nice treaty (by voting 'no' on the Lisbon treaty). However, as the reaction to the comments of the French foreign minister have shown it was very difficult to communicate that other countries might still choose to from a Union based on the Lisbon Treaty.

Irish No - means less than 27 Commissioners from 2009

By Jon

OK, so the Treaty of Lisbon is not going to be ratified this year, and perhaps not at all. So what happens to all the top positions in the EU that need to be decided upon? First and foremost there will be no permanent President of the European Council - not necessarily a bad thing (although it does mean that my whodoicall.eu campaign will be on ice for now). There will also be no ‘EU Foreign Minister’ - there will still be the High Representative for CFSP as now, and an External Relations Commissioner… Or will there be the latter? Have a read of this article from Article 4 from the Protocol on the Enlargement of the European Union from the Treaty of Nice:

Irish No vote is not against the European Union: but a rejection of its current direction.

By Mick Hall

If any one doubts that the Irish working classes have been at the fore in their opposition to the Lisbon Treaty, they need only look at how adjoining constituencies in Dublin voted. Dublin South - mainly middle-class - 62.9% Yes, 37.1% No, Dublin South-West - which has a majority of working-class people voted 65.1%- No, 34.9%-Yes

 

Kosovo’s historic, complicated and confusing day

Today is another historic day for Kosovo. After declaring independence on Feb. 17 and being recognized by 42 countries, including the US, Turkey and most EU members, Kosovo's constitution comes into force today.